When I went to Guatemala, I had the opportunity to pray and to sing praise songs in Spanish with native Spanish-speakers. I always knew that the Church was worldwide, yet getting to experience it made that knowledge so much more real. It’s amazingly powerful and comforting to know that I am part of a family that lives everywhere I am likely to go, and that knowledge was a blessing each time I moved away from home.

I was reminded of my Guatemala experiences while watching this video this evening. Created by the Autism in Pink research project, it’s a documentary about autistic women living in four different European nations. I really enjoyed it. Even though we are separated by national borders, culture, and even language, I thought, “Look! My people!” It made me get a little teary. I’m so glad more research is being done for women on the spectrum, and that more and more of us are learning about ourselves and working to support each other.

You know how in Escape to Witch Mountain, the siblings know they’re different and try to hide it and are basically only friends with each other (and the cat)? And they finally [SPOILER ALERT] get reunited with their long-lost relatives. . . . who are actually from another planet?

There’s a reason autistic people tend to use the alien analogy so often.